1. Zaha Hadid Architects unveils 2 Murray Road in Hong Kong (BD+C)
"The double-height foyer at ground level is arranged for access on multiple levels and welcomes staff and visitors with an interplay of natural light, planting, and organic forms leading up to the second floor public lobby on the city’s elevated walkway network. Suspended above the canopy of its surrounding trees, the lobby’s sculptural glass facade defines a variety of nested spaces. The color palette of these spaces differentiate key destinations within the tower."
2. With revenues drying up, colleges reexamine their student housing projects (BD+C)
"Even before the coronavirus pandemic, national college enrollment had been declining annually for nearly a decade, according to estimates from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, which this fall will issue the first of nine quarterly reports that track the virus’s impact on higher education in the U.S. through fall 2022."
3. AEC industry is weathering COVID-19 better than most (PSMJ)
"Nearly one-third of architecture, engineering and construction (A/E/C) firms have furloughed or laid off employees due to COVID-19, and more than 90% say they have experienced at least some project delays or cancellations, according to a new survey of firm leaders conducted by PSMJ Resources."
4. Healthcare Design Awards promote projects that heal (AIA)
"The awards recognize cutting-edge designs that help solve aesthetic, civic, urban and social problems while also being functional and sustainable."
5. SMPS Chicago panel on Covid-19 impact on the built environment: October 14 (limited to 100) (BD+C)
"Experts from Gilbane Building Co., Gensler, and Avison Young on the panel, to be moderated by BD+C's Robert Cassidy."
6. Multifamily buildings with premium groceries can charge more rent (Bisnow)
"The value a premium grocery store adds to a neighborhood has been well documented, but new research suggests the benefits reach an even more granular level."
7. Commercial construction could be rebounding: US Chamber (Commercial Property Executive)
"The new Commercial Construction Index from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is still far below the first quarter."
Related Stories
Market Data | Nov 27, 2023
Number of employees returning to the office varies significantly by city
While the return-to-the-office trend is felt across the country, the percentage of employees moving back to their offices varies significantly according to geography, according to Eptura’s Q3 Workplace Index.
Market Data | Nov 14, 2023
The average U.S. contractor has 8.4 months worth of construction work in the pipeline, as of September 2023
Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator declined to 8.4 months in October from 9.0 months in September, according to an ABC member survey conducted from Oct. 19 to Nov. 2. The reading is down 0.4 months from October 2022. Backlog now stands at its lowest level since the first quarter of 2022.
Multifamily Housing | Nov 9, 2023
Multifamily project completions forecast to slow starting 2026
Yardi Matrix has released its Q4 2023 Multifamily Supply Forecast, emphasizing a short-term spike and plateau of new construction.
Contractors | Nov 1, 2023
Nonresidential construction spending increases for the 16th straight month, in September 2023
National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.3% in September, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.1 trillion.
Market Data | Oct 23, 2023
New data finds that the majority of renters are cost-burdened
The most recent data derived from the 2022 Census American Community Survey reveals that the proportion of American renters facing housing cost burdens has reached its highest point since 2012, undoing the progress made in the ten years leading up to the pandemic.
Contractors | Oct 19, 2023
Crane Index indicates slowing private-sector construction
Private-sector construction in major North American cities is slowing, according to the latest RLB Crane Index. The number of tower cranes in use declined 10% since the first quarter of 2023. The index, compiled by consulting firm Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB), found that only two of 14 cities—Boston and Toronto—saw increased crane counts.
Market Data | Oct 2, 2023
Nonresidential construction spending rises 0.4% in August 2023, led by manufacturing and public works sectors
National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.4% in August, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.09 trillion.
Giants 400 | Sep 28, 2023
Top 100 University Building Construction Firms for 2023
Turner Construction, Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., STO Building Group, Suffolk Construction, and Skanska USA top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest university sector contractors and construction management firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes revenue for all university/college-related buildings except student residence halls, sports/recreation facilities, laboratories, S+T-related buildings, parking facilities, and performing arts centers (revenue for those buildings are reported in their respective Giants 400 ranking).
Construction Costs | Sep 28, 2023
U.S. construction market moves toward building material price stabilization
The newly released Quarterly Construction Cost Insights Report for Q3 2023 from Gordian reveals material costs remain high compared to prior years, but there is a move towards price stabilization for building and construction materials after years of significant fluctuations. In this report, top industry experts from Gordian, as well as from Gilbane, McCarthy Building Companies, and DPR Construction weigh in on the overall trends seen for construction material costs, and offer innovative solutions to navigate this terrain.
Data Centers | Sep 21, 2023
North American data center construction rises 25% to record high in first half of 2023, driven by growth of artificial intelligence
CBRE’s latest North American Data Center Trends Report found there is 2,287.6 megawatts (MW) of data center supply currently under construction in primary markets, reaching a new all-time high with more than 70% already preleased.
